Other arrangements of The Midnight Special
Pick a learning view.
You get us in the (C7)morn in’
you hear the ding dong you (G)ring.
Now you look up on a ta ble
(C7)you see the same damn not (G)thing.
You find no food up on that ta ble,
noth ing up in the pan.
But if you say a thing a bout it,
you’d be in trou ble with the (G)man.
(CN.C.)A let the mid night spe cial
shine her light on me,
a let the mid night spe cial
shine her ev er lov in’ (G)light on me.
(CN.C.)Well, if you’re ev er in (C7)Hous ton,
you’d bet ter walk on you (G)by.
Oh, you’d bet not gam ble, boy, ble
(C7)I say you’d bet ter not (G)fight.
Well now, the sher iff, he’ll grab you and
his boys will pull you down.
And then be fore you know it bout it,
you’re pen i ten ti a ry (G)bound.
(CN.C.)A let the mid night spe cial
shine her light on me,
a let the mid night spe cial
shine her ev er lov in’ (G)light on me.
(CN.C.)Here if comes ev Miss in (G)light on me.
The Midnight Special — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
1 person has learned this song
Free karaoke for "The Midnight Special" by Lead Belly: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of G, 140 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “The Midnight Special”
- What key is "The Midnight Special" by Lead Belly played in?
- The Midnight Special is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Midnight Special"?
- The arrangement plays at 140 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "The Midnight Special" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "The Midnight Special"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "The Midnight Special"?
- "The Midnight Special" was originally performed by Lead Belly. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "The Midnight Special"?
- This arrangement uses 5 chords: C, C7, D, G, Gdom.
- Is there a karaoke version of "The Midnight Special" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "The Midnight Special" by Lead Belly. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "The Midnight Special" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in G, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "The Midnight Special" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.